Lev Sokolshchik

Lev Sokolshchik, an associate professor of the School of International Regional Studies and research fellow of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS), has published an article in the Journal of Eurasian Studies. The paper addresses the following key issues:
- How has Russia’s place in U.S. foreign policy changed under the Biden administration?
- What factors have contributed to increased confrontation between the United States and Russia under the Biden administration?
- What factors limited U.S. foreign policy ambitions towards Russia, as well as any negotiation opportunities?
- Where was cooperation possible between the United States and Russia, and where were disputes inevitable?

Lev Sokolshchik, an associate professor of the School of International Regional Studies and research fellow of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS), as an invited expert and advisor of the international research group participated in the Boot Camp of the Arms Control Negotiations Academy (ACONA). The event held from January 09 to 13 in the online format. 

"Capital Ideas" portal published an article titled "Restrictive measures against Russia: What's next?", in which L.M. Sokolshchik, an associate professor of the School of International Regional Studies and research fellow of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS), shared his opinion on the future of Western sanctions policy.

Key points:
-The key trend of 2022 was the imposition against Russia of restrictive measures unprecedented in scale and number. According to the Castellum.AI project, in the period from February 22 to November 22, 2022, 10,184 sanctions were imposed against Russia, almost four times higher than the number of sanctions imposed on Moscow in the previous period.
-Western sanctions against Russia include a wide range of restrictive measures: blocking sanctions, sectoral sanctions, financial restrictions, export controls of goods and services, visa and diplomatic restrictions, transport sanctions, and disconnection of a number of financial institutions from the SWIFT system.
-The withdrawal of companies from the Russian market, the so-called “culture of cancellation” of Russia, and the curtailment of humanitarian ties for political reasons are fully consistent with the general trend of anti-­Russian sanctions, and bolster it.
-Despite the wide range and impressive number of restrictions already imposed against Russia, there are risks of further escalation, including: building up enforcement measures, possible strengthening of the anti-­Russian sanctions coalition.
-Thanks to the timely and effective decisions of the financial and economic authorities, Russia is quite successfully adapting to large-­scale sanctions pressure.
-Many consumers in the world cannot refuse Russian energy, food and raw material exports, and some (for example, China and India), on the contrary are increasing supplies from Russia.l
-Moscow has managed to diversify imports through use of non-­Western suppliers and the introduction of parallel imports.
-Under the current conditions, the transformation of the Russian economy is inevitable. The main vector of this will be aimed at strengthening the processes of digital transition, creating our own financial and technological platforms, reorienting export flows to friendly countries, and finding ways to cooperate with non-Western partners.
-An important factor will be the systematically organized import substitution of technologies and components in a number of key sectors of the Russian economy.

Director of CCEIS V. Kashin as a speaker and associate professor of the Department of Foreign Regional Studies, researcher of CCEIS L. Sokolshchik, as an invited expert, took part in the first scientific and educational camp of the Academy of Arms Control Negotiations (ACONA), which was held from August 15 to 19 in an online format. The start of a new cycle of the project was preceded by a lot of preparatory work. For almost three months in the weekly mode L. Sokolshchik together with colleagues from MGIMO, Harvard University, the Woodrow Wilson Center, the Frankfurt Peace Institute, and the University of Iceland, participated in the formation of the program and the content of the camp events. During the camp, discussions, master classes and speeches by leading world experts in the field of strategic stability and global security, trainings on conducting international negotiations and resolving the most pressing issues of modern international relations were organized for project participants from the USA, Russia, Europe, Asia during the camp.

Lev Sokolshchik, an Associate Professor of the School of International Regional Studies, and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS) took part in the second ACONA Boot Camp (January 10-14, 2022) as a member of the organizing team and a supervisor of the international research group focused on the prospects for concluding a new arms control treaty. The activities at the camp included a series of presentations of the scientific projects' results of the ACONA fellows, discussions with the world’s leading experts in the fields of international relations and arms control, master classes, and exercises to develop negotiation skills.

On December 21, 2021, the School of International Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE Universityorganized a meeting with Dr. Lev Sokolshchik, Associate Professor of the School of International Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE Universityas part of a series of online seminars "Contemporary Area Studies".

Lev Sokolshchik (Associate Professor at the School of International Regional Studies, Research Fellow at CCEIS), has been working as a supervisor of the international research group on the problem of a new possible arms control treaty since September 1, 2021. The group consist of young specialists from Japan, Iceland, the US, working in the fields of diplomacy, defense, and negotiations.

As a member of the Project Affiliates team Lev Sokolshchik (Research Fellow, Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies – CCEIS), took part in the work of the first ACONA Boot Camp, which had been held from 16 to 20 August 2021. During the camp, scientific discussions, lectures, reports, and workshops were held. The list of the participants included leading world experts in the fields of International Relations, Negotiations, Global and Regional security.

HSE University in collaboration with Harvard University and other partner organizations have completed the Third Boot Camp of the Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA) which took place from 17 to 21 May 2021.

The HSE University and Harvard University with other partners started accepting applications in the Arms Control Negotiation Academy. The Academy will solicit applications from all over the world to select the top 16 applicants for the program. Applications are accepted until May 2.

The HSE University in cooperation with The Harvard University and other partners have completed The Second Boot Camp of the Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA).

Lev Sokolshchik (PhD, Candidate of Science, a research fellow of the Centre of Comprehensive European and International Studies of HSE) as a member of the organizer team took part in the Working Group of the preparation the Second Camp of The Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA). The general agenda of the camp is a multilateral strategic stability in the contemporary world. Preparation for the project (January 11–15, 2021) has been in process from October 2020 in the format of regular online meetings, during which the event program was prepared, the expert board was formed, and research projects' drafts of the Fellows were carried out.

Lev Sokolshchik (PhD, Candidate of Science, a research fellow of the Centre of Comprehensive European and International Studies of HSE) took part in an online discussion with NATO officials. Within the framework of the meeting, issues related to global and regional security, Russia–NATO relations, the strategic force balance in Europe, and the prospects for the NATO development as a military-political block were discussed.